My Crew

Thursday, September 24, 2009

Stay at Home Mom vs Working Mom

This was always an easy question for me to answer. I LOVE being a stay at home mom. I love being able to be there when the kids get off the bus or volunteer at the school when they needed me. But recently I decided to go back to school. This was also an easy answer for me. I always said I would go back one day. I wanted a college degree. I wanted to prove to myself and my kids that i could do it. So this year when my youngest went to full day kindergarten, I decided to back and finish my degree.

This past month has been so much fun. I have enjoyed sitting in lecture and participating in labs. I have learned so much interesting stuff and I have met some great people. Everything was going great. That is until this week. Monday night my oldest son got sick. We were up most of the night and he couldn't keep anything down. He stayed home from school on Tuesday. Luckily all my classes are on Monday, Wednesday and Friday so I didn't miss class.Then came to problem. He was not well enough to back to school on Wednesday and I had a major test that I could not miss. What was I to do? Luckily my Mom-in-law said she would keep him while I went to class to take my test.

This whole problem was fixed and the day went on fine. But then I started feeling bad. I was feeling like I let my son down because I was not there to take care of him. I had to rely on someone else to take care of my son. It just got me rethinking this going back to school thing.

Do I stay at home all the time for the chance that my children might need me? Is that fair for me? But is it fair to my kids to not have their mom whenever they need me? Then when I do graduate and get a job how will that change things? I could miss class if I had to but will I be bale to miss work every time the kids need me?

This has just given me a lot of new things to think about. How do other working moms handle this stuff?




6 comments:

Suz said...

I've experienced every possible scenario of working full time, home full time, half and half, and now I'm an entrepreneurial WAHM.

I've seen both sides of the misunderstood fence, and am here to tell you that each scenario works just fine.

Your kids will grow and leave (hard to believe, I know) - and you'll enjoy having career options when that time comes.

Hang in there - I'm rooting for you!

Carolee Hollenback said...

Keep up with the school!

I went back and graduated a few years ago- it was one of the best experiences of my life AND my kids got to see me graduate.

And what I learned in school has earned me a little "side money" in the past and helps me with my home biz now. I could barely use a computer b-4 college! Hard to believe now!

Have a Fantastic VGNO!

P.S. Thank God kids don't get sick that often!

Native American Momma said...

I feel that you should continue with what makes you happiest. Your kids will grown up and they will want a happy mom who can take care of herself.
I have an unhappy mom who tries to bring all down with her and I think it has to do with her putting stuff on hold to raise kids then resenting us for her choices

Grace Matthews said...

I have a college degree and I lost my job recently. I have had the opportunity to be home for the kids and I gotta say that I love it. The problem is we can not afford for me to stay home. I have to find a job. I desperately want to find a way to make money from home so that I can stay here so if you have the option...college can wait.

Lizzie said...

i think you are doing an amazing job juggling school and family. i'll be there soon to help dear :) keep it up, i'm SO bringing a giant banner to your graduation "GO STACEY!!!!!!!!!"

Anonymous said...

Being a working mom is definately a challenge. For me I work all weekend which means that I don't see my kids from friday afternoon untill monday morning. Then I go to school 2 hours a day for the remaining 4 days and procede to park my but on the couch and do homework the rest of the night. I am not there to see them get sick or hurt on the weekends and Im handing them off to family or their dad left and right. It makes me feel so bad because I want nothing more than to just stay home with them. I don't want to work. If I could I would never ever work. but Hubby and I are both in school and I have to have a job. His job is not enough to raise our family. If it was enough I would be pregnant for the third time already (my baby is 20months) and I would stay home and enjoy my newborn and my other two kids as much as possible. They play next to me while I do my homework instead of with me. I hardly feel like I have time for them. It sucks so bad to come home sunday night they are already in bed so in the morning I get to see them for about an hour and have to go to school again. It is so hard but in a way it is definately worth working if you have to. If i didn't absolutely have to, I would not work and I would not be going to school yet. I would wait till my youngest (and I want 4 kids) is in kindergarden first. Good luck